Peshmerga commander Mansour Barzani visits mother who lost 3 sons in ISIS attack
"If ISIS terrorists want to attack our people again, we will defend them with our hearts, souls, and blood."
Erbil (Kurdistan 24) - Mansour Barzani, commander of the Peshmerga Gulan's 1st special forces, on Saturday visited the "Woman Lion", the mother who lost three of her sons in the recent ISIS attack on the village of Khidrjeeja in Makhmour district, to express his condolences.
"On the recommendation of President Masoud Barzani, we have come to the Woman Lion to express our condolences and tell her that she lost her three heroic sons, and now we are her sons," Barzani told a press conference.
He also announced that his forces will be deployed in the area to protect its residents from ISIS.
Read More: Kurdish leaders condole family of men killed in ISIS attack
"We, as special forces, have come to put security points around the village," he said. "If ISIS terrorists want to attack our people again, we will defend them with our hearts, souls, and blood."
"We hope that this disaster will not happen again," he added.
Barzani also called on Iraq to fill the security gaps in the disputed territories that ISIS uses to launch such attacks.
"We call on the Iraqi federal government to hurry in filling these security gaps because as long as the security gaps are still not filled, ISIS terrorists will take advantage of this opportunity and attack the people of the region," he said in response to a Kurdistan 24 correspondent's question.
"So, I hope the Iraqi government will hurry up with this issue so that similar incidents do not happen again."
Barzani stated that the Peshmerga forces have been doing their best to confront the ISIS threat.
“Since 2014, almost 2,000 Peshmerga have been killed and thousands more injured in the war against ISIS,” he said.
"From the Mosul Dam to Khanaqin, the Peshmerga forces are fighting ISIS," he said. "This will only make us more daring to defend our territories and homeland."
He reiterated that his forces will remain in Khidrjeeja village "to cooperate with the local residents and protect the people of the area."
The increase in ISIS attacks against Peshmerga forces and civilians over the past week has drawn widespread regional and international condemnation against the terror group.
"Strengthened security coordination and cooperation are essential in the ongoing fight against terrorism," the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) tweeted.
Our sincere condolences to those who lost loved ones in last night's heinous attack in Makhmour; we wish the injured a full and speedy recovery. Strengthened security coordination and cooperation are essential in the ongoing fight against terrorism.
— UNAMI (@UNIraq) December 3, 2021
